Extensions
"Home extensions can be quite expensive, so important to get right — Insite are flexible, have great ideas and are nice people to work with."
Need more cupboards? somewhere for the kids to play? A dining space? A downstairs toilet? A utility room? Or maybe a study or spare room? The possibilities are endless. We all crave for that little bit more space and building an extension whether large or small can give you the breathing space you need. Also, expanding the space you have can be a brilliant way to avoid the crazy cost of moving house while at the same time adding to the value of your home.
Building an extension is an exciting opportunity to really change your home to accommodate the way you live. You are spending a lot of money so you need to get it right first time and maximise the potential. Imagine how frustrating it would to find out later that you could have had a larger kitchen, better arrangement, more intelligent use of daylight or a more attractive design.
One of the reasons why extensions are so often ordinary is because many building contractors often have just one way of doing things, if you can give them a considered design to work from you will certainly achieve a much better result
Insite Architects is the perfect choice if you are thinking of an extension. Our unique initial visit enables you to be part of the design process. Our home design specialists can show you ways of optimising your space and your budget, while taking into consideration all the possible implications.
For the price of a dining table Insite will explore with you a range of design possibilities and advise on the likely costs and pitfalls. We will work with you and the builder to help you get the best possible result for your money.
So what factors need to be considered?
- What is the right size extension for your house?
- Retaining the balance of your house is very important, creating too big a ground floor or adding too many bedrooms can result in a house which appears awkward and uncomfortable.
- What will the effect be on your garden or your neighbours?
- Think about how the extension will fit with the look of your house, both from the road and from the garden? Showing your neighbours your proposals from an early stage can help to keep them on-side and help prevent objections later.
- Will you need 'Planning Permission' or can this be done within 'Permitted Development'?
- This normally depends on; the size of your house; whether it has had any previous extensions; how big they were; whether it is listed or in a conservation area and the size of the proposed extension.
- Will the works need a party wall agreement?
- If any of the proposed new work is either within a certain distance of your properties boundary or bears on a shared wall, then a party wall agreement may well be required.
- Will the works have an impact to your house under the Building Regulations?
- The building regulations cover any new building work so an extension will need to comply. In most domestic situations the work can be done under a building notice rather than with full plans. Insite will explain the options to you and help find the right route for your project.